1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of float
Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
It will be based on a floating barge, which is currently being built in Mississippi and is being transported over to NYC's Pier 35.
—New Atlas, 16 June 2025
R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
The parade includes favorite SeaWorld characters, floats, music and more.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for float
Verb
His body was found floating face down in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
It will be based on a floating barge, which is currently being built in Mississippi and is being transported over to NYC's Pier 35.
—New Atlas, 16 June 2025
Noun
The Aurora Pride Parade, which is set to feature between 60 and 70 marching groups, including floats, will kick off downtown at noon on Sunday.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
The parade includes favorite SeaWorld characters, floats, music and more.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
-
Overnight temperatures are forecast to be hovering near 80 degrees.—
Daniel Manzo,
ABC News,
23 June 2025
-
Oil prices need to hover around $65 a barrel for energy producers to profitably drill new wells, according to another Dallas Fed survey.—
Kate Marijolovic,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
In the Basque region of Spain, Rosenthal roams through the culinary capital of San Sebastián, devouring pintxos, impressive seafood and Txakoli wine.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
Starting Wednesday, the driverless taxis will roam more than 120 square miles of Los Angeles County, stretching from Santa Monica to downtown and from West Hollywood to Inglewood.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
Steveston’s Seafood Heritage Richmond’s Steveston Village reflects its maritime roots with fresh Pacific seafood, working docks, and heritage sites like the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.—
Taryn White,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
On June 6, a boat burst into flames at a Sunny Isles Beach condominium dock, impacting six boats and two personal watercraft.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Carnival will overhaul its loyalty program next year, measuring status largely based on purchases rather than days sailed – and giving guests new ways to earn and redeem benefits.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
-
American Pilots Are Backing Israel’s Drone Defense, Netanyahu Says New Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Upgrade Now Makes Sense Under the old system, a cruiser who sailed frequently over many years earned lifetime Diamond status based on nights at sea.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
So a guineafowl moving at a slow jog of 1 km/h (0.6 mph) – roughly the pace of a wandering toddler – through Alexander's formula would be estimated as 4.7 km/h (2.9 mph).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 June 2025
-
Guests are invited to wander the gardens, join sourdough baking classes, and basically geek out on where their food comes from.—
Lanee Lee,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
At the ferry wharf the road splits three ways: the left road takes me to the eastern part of the town, known as Hollett’s Cove; straight ahead is the highway to Eastport, the nearest town of any size, paved only a few years before.—
Robert Finch
June 18,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
-
It was announced that the recovered had been taken to the next wharf over, and there was her father among them, his face blank with shock.—
Jim Shepard,
New Yorker,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
Each year between March and August and October, whale sharks migrate past Ningaloo Reef, congregating in great numbers, and a stay here offers the rare opportunity to responsibly swim alongside the majestic giants.—
Chloe Berge,
Outside Online,
17 June 2025
-
What Are the Risks? As mentioned, getting sick from swimming in freshwater is uncommon.—
Julia Ries,
Health,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
From the moment Voyager 1 appears on screen, floating in silence, then drifting seemingly out of the theater screen toward the audience, the stereo work adds depth and immersion without ever becoming a gimmick.—
Scott Snowden,
Space.com,
18 June 2025
-
Some critics argue General Catalyst’s industrial-scale strategy is drifting from classic venture capital.—
Sindhya Valloppillil,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share